Toothbrushes and Pliers
by Prep-Satan
Summary: When Sara gets sick the gang has some fun at Grissom's expense.


Hey again, it's probably better if you just don't ask :)  This whole story started when my roommate complained she was sick again, when I laughed at her, she threatened to lick my toothbrush and this story sort of grew from there.  Thanks to whoever came up with the nickname Plant for Sara, i borrowed it but I'll put it back if you want me to.  

Disclaimer:  I own nothing, don't sue me, you won't get anything; I have 11 cents, Canadian.  :)

Toothbrushes and Pliers

            He sighed and smiled as he slid his key into the lock on his front door.  The shift was really long today, he had pulled several hours of overtime and didn't have time to do anything but sleep. Usually he wouldn't have really cared but tonight was different; tonight he was going to go out with Sara after dinner.  They had been seeing each other for a little over three months now and Sara had been staying with him for one.   

            They had been working together on a big case together, and as usual she had been running herself ragged for three weeks now, no food, and no sleep just work.  They finally broke the case and Sara agreed to take the day off and actually stay home and sleep.  He opened the door was oddly greeted with… nothing.  There was no sounds, no smells, no Sara.  At first he thought that maybe she had gone home, but she was going to cook her famous veggie lasagna and then they were going to a movie.  She wouldn't have just left without telling him.  

            Grissom wandered into his kitchen and found a note on the counter…

            Bugman,

            Sorry about the lack of lasagna, I know you were looking forward to it, but I've had a killer headache all day.  Wake me up when you get home and we'll go out for dinner before the movie.

                                                                        Love,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Your Plant.

            He put the note down and went to the bedroom.  As he opened the door he heard the soft strains of ambient trance coming from his stereo.  Sara and he had very different tastes in music, while he preferred classical, Sara had eclectic musical tastes.  She listened to almost anything, from classical to punkish-rock.  She was really into trance, rave, and techno right now, and was slowly but surely taking over all of Grissom's radios.  She liked to listen to ambient trance when she couldn't sleep, she said it was hypnotic.  Grissom had to admit it was hypnotic, but he still didn't really care for it, he put up with it for Sara's sake though.  He was learning who the different bands were that she liked because she knew all the people he listened to. He listened for another minute and decided that this was probably Aphex Twin, but he would check later to make sure. 

            He watched Sara sleep for a minute, she looked so peaceful and relaxed that he didn't want to wake her up, instead he stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed next to her.   He pulled her into his arms, Sara shifted slightly, moving towards him, snuggling against his chest.  She felt Grissom's arms tighten around her, he felt nice and warm, unlike her; she felt cold and sick.  She thought back to work, Greg had been coughing a lot a few days back when she was in the lab.  'I swear to god when I can move again that boy is going to die, I'm going to castrate him with pliers and an elastic band.' she thought to herself as she buried her head in the pillow.  "Grissom," she whined, "I don't feel good."   

Grissom hugged her, and mumbled into her ear, "What's wrong sweetie?"  

"My head hurts, and my throat hurts, and I feel icky."

"Is icky the scientific term?"  He smiled and kissed the back of her neck, she sounded like a little kid.  "You have a bit of a fever too."  

"Sanders is going to die for this.  I'm going to hunt him down and… and lick his toothbrush."  

"Lick his toothbrush?"

"Yeah he made me sick, so I'm going to make him sick again by licking his toothbrush."

"Sara honey, you don't have his toothbrush."

"Fine then, maybe I'll have to lick him."

Grissom laughed, "He might enjoy that though." He pulled his arm from underneath her.

"No don't leave, I'm cold now."

"I'll be right back, and I'll bring you another blanket."

Sara smiled at him, she had been so happy with him these last couple months.  It was rocky at the beginning, but they worked through it.  Grissom got up and wandered to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and some aspirin for Sara.  He handed her the bottle and the pills, she swallowed them while he spread the other blanket over her and got back into bed. He gathered Sara back in to his arms, and kissed her neck again, "go back to sleep."

"Stop kissing me, you're going to get sick." She mumbled.  

"That's ok; I could stay here with you then."  He smiled and fell asleep.

            Several hours later Grissom's alarm clock went off.  He hit the snooze button quickly before it woke Sara up.  He rolled over and looked at her, she was still sleeping.  Grissom didn't want to go to work today, he wanted to stay here in bed with Sara and look after her, but he knew that she just had a cold and wouldn't let him skip work for her.  He silently slipped out of bed and had a quick shower before calling Nick.

"Stokes."

"Hi Nicky it's Grissom."

"Oh Hey Griss, what can I do for you?"

"I know that it's your day off and this is short notice, but could you come into to work tonight?"

"Yeah I guess so why, what's up?"

"Nothing really, Sara's sick so she won't be in."

"Is she ok?"

"She just got a cold but after the last three weeks I'm making her stay home and rest if I have to nail the bedroom door shut."

"Ok, I'll see you tonight; tell Sara I say hi and that I hope she feels better."

"I will."  Grissom hung up the phone.  They had told the rest of the team about them two months ago, and were now comfortable being affectionate around them and making jokes about their living arrangements as long as they were not in the lab.  

            He went into the kitchen and found some stuff for Sara, lemon tea, honey, vegetarian chicken soup (he hated it but was learning), crackers, juice, and some forensic journals to read.  Before he left he laid everything but the juice on the counter with a note that read…

       Plant, 

                  I hope that you're feeling better when you find this.  Don't worry about work; Nick was happy to take your shift, he says hi and that he hopes you feel better too.  Enjoy the food, there's juice for you in the fridge if you want it.  I'll try not to be too late or hurt Greg too much; maybe I'll leave him for you.  Call if you need anything.

                                                                                                Love, 

                                                                                                                         Bugman

            Nick met Grissom in the parking lot.  "Hey, how's life at casa de Grissom?"  He laughed as his boss smiled at him.

"Full of pathogens and other fun things."  He answered holding the door open for Nick.  "Thanks again for coming in, it was really short notice but I appreciate it.  I told Sara that you said hi in the note that I left her."

"Hey remember this for my next evaluation.  Wait you left her a note?  You didn't tell her you were leaving?"

"No, why would I wake her up, she was sleeping?"  Grissom looked genuinely perplexed.  

"What does Sara usually do with her days off?"

"Come to work."

"Right and what does she normally do when she's sick?"

"Come to work."

"If she was awake what would she have done today?"

"Come to work… oh shit."  The spark of recognition flashed through Grissom's eyes, Nick was saying that Sara was going to be pissed when she found out he left her although he couldn't really figure out way.  "You think she's going to be mad?"

Nick just nodded as they walked into the break room together.  After he heard that Sara wasn't coming in he called Catherine to tell her that they had to change their plans and location.  Catherine agreed and said that Grissom would most likely leave a note for Sara if she wasn't up and maybe they should have some fun with him before their surprise, they decided to call Sara later after she had had time to sleep for a while and let her in on what they were doing.

            Catherine looked up when she heard their footsteps.  She smiled at Nick, "Hey Nicky, it's not that I'm not glad to see you but why are you here?  And where's Sara?"  She flashed an accusing look at Grissom.  He held up his hands in surrender.  Nick saw the look and smiled.  Grissom was far more relaxed since he had started going out with Sara, work in turn was far more relaxed.  "I didn't do anything Cath, I swear, she's got a cold, it's Greg's fault."  Just then Greg walked in with some results for Warrick.  "What's Greg's fault?"  He asked looking a little frightened.  "It's Greg's fault that Sara is sick.  And she said she was going to hunt you down and lick your toothbrush, don't ask."  Grissom tried to look sternly at Greg, "and if find out that you did anything but cough near her, I'm going to hunt you down and do far worse."  Greg backed away slowly in mock fear, "I swear I just coughed near her, I value my job… and my life."  Warrick laughed at this display, "Relax Griss, he's not suicidal enough to go macking on your girl.  Go Greg, run; run away to safety."  Greg left and returned to his lab.  Grissom turned to Warrick, "Macking on my girl???"  Warrick smiled, "ya you know he wouldn't flirt with Sara."  Catherine paused her quiet conversation with Nick, "Are talking about the same Greg that just left?  Of course he still flirts with Sara, what you meant to say was he would never do anything more than harmless flirting."  She turned to Grissom with the same accusing look as before, "you left her a note???  You're sleeping on the couch… forever I hope you know that."  Grissom sighed, "I do now, Nick mentioned it.  I don't see why really, maybe she will appreciate that I left her at home to rest and get better," He looked around at the disbelieving faces in the room with him, "… or maybe I'll grow a set of spider legs and… I'm screwed."  He sat down on the couch, the rest of the team nodded and smiled at him.  "Oh well, what do we have?"  Catherine asked changing the subject from Grissom's impending doom.  "We got a D.B. at the Tangiers, Warrick you're working that with me.  And a robbery at 128 North Trop Blvd. why some one would rob a house so close to a police station I don't know, but it should be fairly straightforward, so Nicky you get it as a reward for coming in.  Last Catherine you get a liquor store hold up on the Strip, it's a slow night for crime; let's hope it stays that way.  Have fun everybody."  With that everybody got up and left. 

            Back at home Sara rolled over in bed; she woke up when she didn't feel Grissom's body next to hers.  She looked at the clock; it read 4:30a.m.  'Damnit, Gil didn't wake me up and now I'm really, really late.' Sara thought as she threw the covers off, she regretted it immediately, it was very, very cold in their bedroom, or at least she thought it was.  Sara made her way to the kitchen cursing Greg the entire way.  She saw everything on the counter and read the note that Grissom left, she smiled, he was so sweet.  She was going to call him but first she was going to torture Greg.  

"Sanders."

"I'm going to hunt you down and castrate you with a pair of pliers and an elastic band, and don't think I don't know how."

Greg laughed at the slightly nasal tone of Sara on the other end of the line.  "I'm so very, very, very sorry that I got you sick.  Are you feeling really bad?"  

Sara smiled, Greg sound genuinely concerned and sorry.  "No I'm feeling ok Greg, but I'm cold and I got a killer headache."

"Sounds like what I had."

"I know, that's why I'm going to hurt you, or maybe just lick your toothbrush."

"Did you get Grissom's note, wait lick my toothbrush?"

"Ya, how do you know about the note?"

"Lick my toothbrush, we all know about your note, oh yeah Catherine told me to tell you to call her."

"Why didn't she just call me?"

"She didn't want to wake you up, speaking of which why are you up, you're sick, you should be sleeping, are you warm enough and what the hell do you mean lick my toothbrush?

"I'm fine Greg, I'm just getting a drink, but I have to go and call Catherine apparently, I'll see you tomorrow, bring your toothbrush, or I get the pliers and elastic."

"Alright take care, I'm really sorry."  Carefully crossing his legs and hoping her was joking.

"Bye Greg."  Sara grabbed a bottle of water and went back to bed, this cold was starting to suck, she had only been up for a few minutes and she was wiped.  She dialled Catherine's number.

"Willows."

"You told Greg to tell me to call you?"

"Hey Sara, how are you feeling?"

"Sick, what can I do for you?"

Catherine sighed she hated to see her friends sick, "We want to mess with Grissom's mind for a bit, you up for it?"

"What would I have to do?"

"Well we've all been saying that you'd be cheesed that he just left you a note and forced you to stay home, so far he's buying it, we need you to call him in about an hour and complain about it, like really tear him a new one."

Sara laughed but stopped quickly it hurt too much, "Oww, that hurts, ya I can do that."

"Great, you're the best, feel better soon eh."

"Thanks Cath, I'll probably be back tomorrow."

"Don't push yourself too hard we can handle two days with out you."  Catherine chuckled and hung up her phone, everything was going to work out fine.  She flipped her phone open again and called Nick.

"Stokes."

"Hey Nicky, she's in.  We're a go, 55 minutes."

"Great, this is going to be fun."  Nick disconnected and dialled Warrick's number.

"Brown."

"Cath just called Sara's in, we go in 50 minutes."

"Ok thanks, later."  Warrick put his phone back on his belt.  Grissom looked at him, with that classic 'Grissom look', "Who was that?"

"Nicky giving me the answer to a question I asked earlier."  His answer satisfied Grissom for the moment, perfect.  They worked for a little while longer, with Warrick asking if Grissom had called Sara yet every time one of them called.  Nick, Catherine, and Greg each called him once at fifteen minute intervals.  Every time Warrick looked at Grissom, "Was that Sara?"

"No, not yet, you think she's waiting until I get home to yell at me?"  Grissom was sounding more and more nervous, Warrick was finding it very hard to not smile and give it all away.  Finally 45 minutes later Grissom's phone rang again, this time it was Sara.

"Grissom."

"Gil Grissom where the hell are you?"  Sara yelled as loud as her throat would allow her to.

"I'm at a crime scene, are you ok?"

"Well let's see, I woke up to find out you're gone, there's only an hour and a half left on shift and I'm at home instead of work because someone didn't wake me up! And we're out of NyQuil, what's the big idea Gil?"

"Well you're sick so I called Nicky and let you stay home."  Grissom said quietly looking to Warrick for help, but he just held up his hands and shook his head, Grissom was on his own.

"Am I that easy to replace that you didn't even bother to wake me up and see if I felt like going to work?!"  Sara was finding it hard to sound mad.

"You were sleeping, and… and…"

"And what, I'm not competent enough to decide whether I can work or not?!"

"But… but… I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful and you worked for three straight weeks and you need to sleep."  He was very quickly running out of things to say.

"It wasn't your choice, god Grissom because I live at your place, you make my decisions now, whatever I'll see you when you get home, you better bring me more drugs."  She slammed the phone down and counted to five before picking it up and calling Catherine.  

"Willows."

"It's done, I could see him squirm.  You done there?"

"Yep, so is Nicky he called a minute ago, we're going to drop of evidence and come over, Greg will be over after shift, and Warrick will be here as soon as he can, okay." 

"Sure don't hurry too much I have to shower and look presentable." 

"Sure 45 minutes enough?"

"Plenty.  See you later."  She hung up and jumped in the shower.  After her shower Sara considered dressing nicely but decided that she didn't feel like it.  She pulled her Harvard sweatshirt and flannel pants back on and pulled her still damp hair into a ponytail.  There was a knock at the door; Catherine and Nicky were standing there with a few bags and a box.  

"Come on in guys."

"You look like hell."  Nick said looking at Sara.

"Thanks Nicky, I appreciate that."

"Nice pants though."  Catherine said stepping through the door.  They put their gear on the counter next to Sara's soup and stuff.  Nick picked up the can and read it, "vegetarian chicken?  I'm not asking."  Sara laughed, "It's good, really."  

            Catherine started to unpack the bags; they had brought streamers, balloons, snack food, and a cake.  "Where do you want the decorations?"  Catherine asked gesturing around the room.

"The kitchen, hey did you get me that toothbrush?"

"Yes it did, brought pliers and an elastic too, what are they for?"

Sara smiled, "You'll find out later."

They had just finished decorating and laying out the snacks when the doorbell rang again, Sara looked out the peephole, it was Warrick and Greg.  "Hey, he'll be here soon, I had to drive like a madman to get here."  

"Hey Sara you feeling better?"  Greg asked sheepishly.

"Not really, but I'll be better in a minute."  She grabbed the pliers and elastic, brandishing them with an evil look in her eye.  "Drop 'em boy."  Greg ducked behind Warrick, "Save me."

Sara laughed and put her toys back on the table.  They sat around and talked for a while, Greg apologising every minute and begging Sara to put her pliers away.  Catherine heard a car pulled up in the driveway.  "Hide."  Everyone scrambled for the kitchen, except Sara who stayed on the couch.  

            The door opened slowly and a very timid Grissom came through proffering a box of Nyquil and an orchid in a green pot.  He walked into the living room and found Sara sleeping on the couch, so he though, he bent down and caressed her face, still warm but not too bad, suddenly her hand came up and shoved a toothbrush in his mouth.  "I licked it you son of a bitch."  Grissom jumped about a foot and stumbled backwards.

"I'm really, really sorry Sara, I thought you would want to stay home."

"Well I didn't, what in our relationship would ever make you think that I would want to stay home?"

"I don't know… well I … I just… I don't know."  Just then the lights went out and an eerie glow came form the kitchen, followed by foot steps and voices singing.

"Happy 25th solved case to you,

 Happy 25th solved case to you,

 Happy 25th solved case Grissom and Sara, 

 Happy 25th solved case to you."  

The lights turned back on to reveal the team standing in his kitchen with a cake that said 25th solved and had red icing that look like blood spatter.  Grissom turned to Sara, "Did you plan this?"  

"No the rest of the team did, I didn't know we solved 25 cases together until Catherine told me."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No, I couldn't have gotten through the shift if I wanted to, I'm glad you left me here."

"Wow, so are faking being sick too?"  He asked smiling at her.              

"Hell ya, I can raise my body temperature at will, I'm very talented." She joked.

Grissom leaned really close to her and whispered, "You can raise mine at will."  He rose and turned to the team, "This is great you guys, thank you.  What are those pliers for?"  

"Those are for Greg." Sara answered with a grin.

"Right, I'm not asking."

Warrick laughed, "It's better that way."

Catherine cut the cake, handed it out to everyone and the party began.  They all talked and celebrated for several hours.

            The party slowed down around noon and everyone filtered out slowly, promising to come back before the shift to clean.  Sara went to bed shortly after, before joining her Grissom checked his radio, Aphex Twin, he turned Sara's song back on and climbed into bed.

"You hate this song."  She mumbled.

"I know but you like it, it helps you sleep."

"Thank you Grissom."

"No problem, umm by the way did you really lick that toothbrush?"

She smiled, "Maybe.  You'll have to wait and find out."

C'est Fini.  


End file.
